Steering-wheel.



HOROWITZ.

STEERING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED OGT.1, 1914.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

IIVVE/I/TOR WITNESSES TTOH/l/EYS Mortars M. nonowrrz, or urine, new roan.

STEERING-WE EE I1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. in, 19215.

Application filed October 1, 1914. Serial No. 864,406.

.ing column and which possesses other features hereinafter specifically set forth.

The relationship usually existing between the steering wheel and the drivers seat is such that the rear edge of the wheel is in the approximate vertical plane of the forward edge of said seat, for the sake of convenience and the comfort of the driver, and this arrangement requires that the driver shall slide under the wheehlaterally of the seat, in order to reach driving position, and also prevents the drivers arising directly from driving position; further, in the present use 5? fore-doors, the space between the wheel and the forward edge of the rail of the drivers seat is so slight as to practically prevent the driver from getting out of the automobile on the driving side, and it was in order to overcome these defects that my invention was conceived.

My invention is fully descr bed in the following specification, of wh i the accompanying drawings form a pa. in which the separate parts are designated by the same reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a steering wheel constructed in accordance with my invention, detached from thesteering column; Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and showing an alternate position thereof in dotted lines; Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragn'iontary, view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is asimilar view taken on the,line of Fig. 1; and Fig. 5is a side elevation showing the normal and alternate wheel positions with respect to the drivers seat, and the fore-door on the driving side of an automobile.

In the drawings forming a part of this application I have illustrated apresent preferred form of embodiment of my invention, co uprising a wheel formed of a hub 6 having arms 7,, 8, and 9 radiating therefrom, and a rim 10 connected with the outer ends of said arms, and, in the present form, it will be noted that the arms 7 and 8 are diametrically arrangcd, and the arm 9 perpendiculu r thereto, thereby eliminating the usual fourth arm arranged diametrically of the arm 9 for reasons later set forth.

The rim 10, in the positions of the outer ends of the arms 7 and 8, is bored to receive a screw 11 having a projecting pin 12 entering a recess 13 in each of the arms 7 and 8, whereby a pivotal bearing is established between the said arms 7 and 8 and the rim l0, and I also provide a strengthening plate 14 in the position of each pin 12 on the inner side of the rim and preferably countersunk thcreinto to produce a smooth finish, the outer end of the bores in said rim being plugged as shown at 15, also for the purpose of a smooth finish, this feature of the con struction being clearly illustrated in Figs.

The inner and under side of the rim 10, in the position of the arm 9, is recessed at 16 to receive the end of said arm, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the outer end of said arm being so shaped as to conform to the contour of the rim, and I provide a bolt 17 slidable in said arm and normally forced outwardly thereof for a predetermined dis tance by means of a coil. spring 18, a handle 19 operable in a slot 20 being provided for manual. manipulation of said bolt, and the projecting end of the bolt 17 extends into a recess 21 in the rim preferably lined with metal, as shown at 22, to prevent wearing away the wood or other material. of the rim in the vibration of the parts due to the movement of the automobile. V

WVhile driving, the. wheel is in the position shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3, but, when it is desired to rise from driving position, all that is necessary is to retract ,the bolt 17 and tilt the wheel upon its pivot pins 12 into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and said wheel offers no obstruction to the drivers arising, nor to his leaving the automobile on the driving side,

the elimination of the usual fourth arm or spoke of the wheel rendering this possible for, should such an arm be employed, it would be in the way inasmuch as it is only the rim of the wheel which tilts and not the arms" or spokes thereof. .When the driver resumes his seat, all that is necessary is to return the wheel rim to normal posinor of a door latch in order to render the strained and unnatural osition.

bed a presslocking of the rim in normal position automatic.

' Various efforts have been made to over come the objectionable feature referred to, even to the extent or" hinging the lower end of the steering column to the fioonof the vehicle,'but this is costly, cumbersome, complicated, and might be dangerous, whereas by my method the same result is produced without adding to the cost of this portion of a vehicle, as Wheels constructed in accordance with my method may be made as cheaply, in quantity, as in the present or conventional manner; by my method there is no sacrifice of the strength of the wheel and an advantage is provided in the unobstructed grip on the rim through an arc of approximately degrees of a circle, and a further advantageous feature resides in the fact that, in low racing bodies, the rim may be inclined While driving to suit the comfort of the driver and not require that he shall maintain his arms in a raised,

While I have shown and descri ent preferred form of embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific details shown and described, as many changes thereover maybe made,'\vithi1i the scope of the following claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim. as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'1. The combination of a steering column masses and a. wheel thereon, said Wheel comprishig arms fined on, and immovable withrespect to, the steering column, and or bodily tzltabi I 'im carried by said arms.

*2. The combination of a steering column and a Wheel thereon, said Wheel comprising arms fixed on, and immovable with respect to, the steering column, and a bodily tiltablerilm detachably connected to a certain arm and pivotally connected to certain connection with said arms and bodily tiltable with respect thereto, and-means for locking said rim against movement on its pivots.

5. The combination of a steering column and a wheel thereon, said Wheel comprising diametrically arranged arms, ail-arm in perpendicular arrangement to said first named arms, a mm in pivotal connection With said first named arms and means for detachably connecting the same with said perpendicular arm.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MORRIS M. HOROWITZ.

Witnesses:

WILLLAM WATSON, J11, WILLIAM J. Wsscron. 

